You Got This

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NIV

We tend to think that God will only be with us, and we are only to be fearless when we are 'doing God's work.' This probably comes from those years of sitting the pews listening to fiery sermons and what would happen if we give in to the flesh. What they didn't tell us was that God fully understands our human existence. He put us here! He gets that we live in a physical world, bound by physical laws, human laws, and we must work in this world. We raise our children in this world. We find joy in this world. We find sorrow in this world. And God's intent is not for us to sit around all day twiddling our thumbs until we are 'called' to do his work. Our everyday lives are full of opportunities to share his strength, his love, and his compassion. And not all of us are called into ministry either. Our ministry is raising our children, being dependable employees and compassionate friends, and putting our faith to work in helping others.

So if this is where we live, this is where this verse will help. No matter where life takes us, God will go with us - that's what the 'wherever' means. Right now I'm training for a martial arts testing. It's brutal. My body is telling me it's had enough. My mind is telling me it's scared of pushing too far and questioning whether or not I should keep going. But my soul is strong and tells me I can. Why? Because I have nothing to fear. God is my strength when I am weak. God is my courage when I am afraid. He is where I am, and if that's at the academy, then that's where he's at helping me train and keep my body strong and fit. If I am at work, that's where he's at, helping me provide the work product my employers hired me to do. If I'm at home, that's where he's at, helping me be a godly wife and mother and homemaker.

No matter where we are, God is there so we have nothing to be afraid of or be discouraged. It will happen, but we can turn to him when it does. He's got this, so you got this.